Electrical connector



June 19, 1962 Filed Nov. 14, 1958 A. AGRON ET AL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR f726 2f 2a 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALBERT AGRON d ROBERT A. CLIFFORD INVENTORS.

HERZ/G JSSUP,

ATTORNEYS.

June 19, 1962 A. AGRON ET AL l 3,040,287

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1958 SN/@SH Si weDNN @mw Aim Mas/Pr Amo/v a nose/ar ,4. CUF/fono,

INVENTORS- HERZ/c a Jessup, BY A TTORNEVS.

,1% um mm ww mw Wm mw :VN V/ M. w m .Il mm. wm m wm, I, RN m N .i www///f////// im i m J, T @S S m, i @www 3% @N mwmm MW Aw@ .sq Q wS f Mm MQR Nw www wm W91 ww NQ, hx v Q United States Patent() 3,040,287ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Albert Agron, Los Angeles, and Robert A. Clifford,West Covina, Calif. Fired Nov. 14, 195s, ser. No. 774,037 Claims. (Cl.339-94) This invention relates to electrical connectors and moreparticul-arly to an electrical connector for releasably connectingconductors of a pair of cables in an air-tight, waterproof relationship.

An object of this invention is to releasably connect conductors of apair of cables by means of separable telescoping male and femalecontacts electrically connected to the conductors of the cable.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a new andimproved electrical connector which provides a male and female housing,the male housing having a plurality of male contacts, each beingelectrically connected to a conductor of the cable residing therein,adapted to telescopically engage female contacts of the female housing,each female contact being electrically connected to a conductor of theother cable, whereby the male housing may be quickly and easilytelescopically coupled to the female housing to electrically connect, bymeans of the contacts, the conductors of one cable to the conductors ofanother cable, the exposed conductors of the cables and the contactsbeing hermetically sealed against entrance of moisture or uid to theexposed conductcrs and contacts to prevent corrosion or shortcircuitingthereof during use. y

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedgasket means for hermetically sealing the interior of the housings fromthe exterior in which the gasket means serves `to grip the cables andthereby prevent axial rotative movement of the cables relative to thehousings, which might result in loosening or breaking the electricalconnections within the housings.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new andimproved electrical connector which provides improved constructionwherein a single nut means on each of the housings serves to retaincomponent parts of the connectors within the housings while serving toexpand the sealing and gasket means therein into a sealing relationshipto hermetically seal the interior of the housings from the exteriorthereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide new and improvedcontact construction whereby the contacts may be quickly and easilyinstalled within suitable insulating means provided in the housings,each contact having resilient means for retaining the contact rigidlyand rmly within the housing, each being provided with a sealing meansfor prevention of entrance of moisture or liquid there-around.

kA still further object of this invention is to provide a new andimproved retaining means for the contacts which prevents inadvertentloosening or removal of the contacts within the housings, yet which canbe selectively released for removal of the Contact from the housing ifdesired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedelectrical connector which is economical to manufacture, capable lofmass production, and easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved electricalconnector in which the conductors of the cables may be electricallyconnected to the contacts of the connector prior to installation of thecontacts within the male and female connector housings, therebyfacilitating improved connection as by crimping, soldering or the like,such an operation having heretofore been extremely diicult to accomplishin conventional con- 3,040,287 Patented `lune 19, 1962 ICC nectorswherein cont-acts are crowded and molded within an insulator beforeelectrical connection to conductors, there being little space betweencontacts thereafter for accommodation of tools.

These and other objects of this invention will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description, drawings and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, in elevation, of an electrical connector designedand constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertical cross-sectional view as taken on thelongitudinal axis of the electrical connector illustrated in FIG. 1 andwhich is foreshortened for clarity;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional View illustrating thecentral portion of FIG. 2 in greater detail;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view as takensubstantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, in elevation, illustrating the retainingmeans for a contact in vgreater detail;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view as takensubstantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional View showing aportion of a gasket means thereof in an uncompressed state; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional view, similar to aportion 'of FIG. 2, illustrating a modified embodiment of the contactmeans in accordance with this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown, by way ofillustration but not of limitation, an electrical connector generallydesignated by the numeral 10 designed and constructed in accordance withthis invention. The electrical connector 10 includes a tubular femalehousing 11 in telescoping relationship with a tubular male housing 12coupled together as by a coupling' means 13.

The female housing 111 comprises a tubular 'body 14' having asubstantially uniform internal cylindrical surface 16 extending througha substantial length of the body 14 and communicating between an outeropen end 17 of the housing and a reduced |bore 18 spaced inwardly fromthe inner or forward open end 19 thereof, the bores 16 and 18 definingan outwardly-facing transverse annular shoulder 22. An enlarged bore 21communicates between the other forward end 19 of the housing 11 andthereduced bore 18.

The outer rearward end 17 of the housing 11 is provided with externalhelical threads 23 forthreaded engagement with a tubular retaining nutZ4 having internal threads 26 mating therewith. The nut 24 includes aninwardly-extending radial ange 27 providing an opening whose innerdiametrical surface 28 is preferably substantially smaller than thediametrical dimension of the inner surface 16 of the housing 11, forabutting engagement with an end of a tubular `sleeve 29 slidinglydisposed within the housing 11.

The tubular sleeve Z9 is preferably provided with a plurality of strandsof wire 31, embedded in circumferentially spaced relationship in thesleeve 29 and extending outwardly therefrom and through the opening ofthe flange 27. The strands 31, as best seen in FIG. 1, are helicallywound and interwoven to encase a portion of a cable 32 extending intothe housing 11 to reinforce the cable at the area adjacent the housing11. f

|he inner end of the sleeve 29 is in abutment with an outer face of agasket means within the housing 11, the gasket means 33 having a doublefunction, i.e., to seal, in air-tight relationship, an annular area 34defined by the inner surface 16 of the housing 11 and the outer surfaceof the cable 32 and to grippingly engage the cable 32 to prevent axialrotative movement thereof.

A tubular spacer 36 is slidingly disposed in the housing 11 having anouter end 37 thereof in abutment with the inner face of the gasket means33, and an inner end 38 thereof in abutment with an annular sealingO-ring 39 of pliant material such as rubber, neoprene or the like. Thering 39 is sandwiched between the end 38 of the spacer 36 and a verticalannular shoulder 4t) of an insulating means 41 of the housing 11.

The insulating means 41 is substantially cylindrical in configuration,and includes a rearwardly-extending cir- 'cumferentially relieved end 42which telescopically e11- gages the inner surface 43 of the spacer 36,the O-ring 39, the shoulder 4), the inner surface 16 of the housing 11,and the outer surface 42 of the circumferentially relieved portiondefining an annular space in which the sealing ring 39 is disposed. 'Pheinsulator 41 further includes a circumferentially reduced forwardportion 44 lhaving a sliding fit wit-hin the bore 18 of the housing 11and dening a shoulder 46 for abutment with the annular -shoulder 22 ofthe housing 11 against the insulator 41 bottoms. A key 47 is provided onthe outer surface of the reduced portion 44 of the insulator 41 forkeyed engagement of the insulator 41 with the housing 11 as in a keyway48, axially formed in the bore 18, to prevent rotation of the insulator41.

As will now be more clearly understood by the foregoing description, asthe nut 24 is rotated in a direction to advance it on the housing 11,the flange 27 thereof pushes inwardly on the sleeve 2,9 to clamp thegasket means 33, the spacer 36, the sealing ring 39 and the outerportion of the insulator 41 1between the inner face of the sleeve 29 andthe shoulder 22 of the housing 11, thereby axially compressing thegasket means 313 and the sealing ring 39 to expand each in a radialdirection whereby the gasket means 33 seals the annular area 34 and thesealing ring 39 seals the annular space previously described at theouter end of the insulator means 41.

The nut 24 is preferably provided with a slot 25 extending through thewall thereof. A lockscrew 20 is axially disposed yin a threaded bore 20to intersect the slot for misphasing the threads 23-26 after assembly tolock the nut 24 against rotational and axial movement relative to thehousing 11.

As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the gasket means 33, and a gasket means33' to be hereinafter described, before rotation of the nut 24, eachincludes a substantially cylindrical tubular body 49 having an innerdiameter 51 substantially larger than the outer surface of the cableextending therethrough an outer diameter 52 substantially equal to theinner surface of its respective housing v11, 12, and a plurality ofannular external groovesl 53 forming discrete ridges or flanges 54between the grooves 53. An annular washer 56 having an outer diametersubstantially equal to the outer diameter 52. of the gasket means 33, 33and an inner diameter complementary to the bottom of the grooves `53, isdisposed in each of the grooves 53. When the nut 24 of the housing 11 isadvanced on the threads 23 thereof to compress the gasket means 33, eachflange 54 is axially compressed and thereby radially expanded to forminwardly-directed annular ridges 57 (see FIG. 2) which bite into theouter surface of the cable, which is relatively pliant, thereby firmlygripping the cable to prevent axial rotative movement thereof. Aninwardly-directed annular ange 58 is integrally formed or secured tosleeve 36, as by peening, welding or the like, to provide a backing forthe gasket means.

I'he insulator 41, as best shown in FIG. 3, is provided with a pluralityof longitudinal bores 59 extending therethrough, each bore 59 having arearward counterbore 61 .and an elongated forward counterbore 62defining a rearwardly facing shoulder 63 and a forwardly facing annularshoulder 64. A female contact member 66 is disposed in each of the bores59, each contact 66 including a forward tubular portion 67, acircumferentially relieved portion 68 defining a rearwardly facingannular shoulder 69. The contacts 66 further include an intermediateportion 71 having a sliding fit with the bores 59 and a rearwardlyextending tubular portion 72 in which ends 73 of conductors of the cable32 are electrically connected as by soldering, swaging, pinching or thelike. An outwardly extending annular flange 74 is provided on eachcontact 66 having a sliding iit in the counterbore 61 and residingtherein, and an annular groove 76 adjacent thereto, the flange 74, thegroove 76 and the counterbore 61 forming an annular space in which anannular sealing O-ring 77 of pliant material such as neoprene, rubber,or the like, is disposed.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, a resilient, relatively rigid retainingmeans 78 is disposed on each of the contacts 66 circumjacent thecircumferentially relieved portion 68 thereof. The retaining means 78comprises a substantially cylindrical body 79 circumjacent thecircumferentially relieved portion 68 and a plurality of outwardlyextending resilient ngers 81. When the contacts 66 are installed withinthe bores 59 of the insulator 41, the resilient fingers 81 are extendedoutwardly to abut the shoulder 64, thus clamping the flange 74 and thesealing ring 77 against the shoulder 63 and preventing axial movement orinadvertent removal of the contact 66. Additional lingers 88 serve toabut the shoulder 85 of the intermediate portion 68 to retain theretaining means 78 on the portion 68.

In order to install a contact 66 within a bore like 59, the retainingmeans 78 is slipped over the circumferentially relieved portions 68 bymeans of the longitudinal split indicated at 82 in FIG. 5, whereby theforward end of the contact 67 may be inserted through the bore 59, thefingers 81 being deflected inwardly by the shoulder 63 and the innerdiameter of the bore 59 until the fingers 81 emerge into the counterbore62 when the fingers 81 are allowed to expand outwardly and engage theshoulder 64. The distance between the inner sur-face of the ange 74 andthe shoulder 69 is preferably such that the sealing means 77 is slightlyaxially compressed in order to extend the lingers 81 into thecounterbore 62, thereby expanding the ring 77 radially to effectivelyseal the annular space adjacent the flange 74 to prevent moisture or uidfrom passing through the annular space.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the inner or forward end of the housing 11 isprovided with external helical threads 83 for threaded engagement withinternal helical threads 34 of the coupling means 13 for threadedengagement therewith. The coupling means 13 comprises a tubular body 86having an inwardly extending annular flange 87 Whose internalcircumferential surface 88 has a sliding fit-with the external surface89 of the male housing 12. The body 86 is retained on the male housing12 and prevented from axial movement thereon by a pair of splitrings 91residing in a pair of spaced grooves 92 on the outer surface 89 of themale housing 12. The axial movement of the nut 13, relative to thefemale housing 11, 'is transmitted to the male housing 12 by `thesplit-rings 91, the diametrical surfacer88 being smaller than the outerdiameter of the split-rings 91. The forward split- H ring 91 ispreferably overlapped by the flange 87 as indicated at 93 to preventexpansion of the ring when an axial force is applied thereto.

Interposed between the inner end 94 of the housing 11 and the innersurface of the flange 87, is an annular sealing means 96 in the form ofan annular ring of pliant resilient material such as neoprene, rubber orthe like. A cup-shaped washer 97 having an annular flange 98 ispreferably interposed between the sealing ring 96 and the ange 87. Axialmovement of the body 86 relative to the housing 11, axially compressesthe sealing ring 96 to radially expand the ring. The flange 98 preventsundue expansion in an outward direction, while expansion inwardly servesto seal an annular space 99 formed between the outer surface 89 of themale body 12 and the counterbore 21 of the female housing 11. An annulargroove 101 is preferably provided in the outer surface 89 of the malehousing 12 in which the sealing ring 96 is seated for a more effectiveseal.

The forward end 102 of the male housing 12 is telescopically engagedwithin the counterbore 21 of the female housing 11. An integral key 103is provided adjacent the forward end of the male housing 12 forengagement with a keyway 104 longitudinally formed in the bore 21 of thefemale housing 1v1 to prevent rotation of the male housing 12 relativetothe female housing 11.

The male housing 12 is provided with an insulator means 104 similar inconstruction to the insulator means 41 of the female housing. Theinsulator 104 has an outer diametn'cal surface y106 having a sliding fitwith the inner surface 107 of the male housing 12, and an inner shoulder108 in abutment with an outwardly-facing shoulder 109 of the housing.The annular shoulder 109 is formed by the bore 107 and a reduced bore110 of the housing, the reduced bore 110 having a keyway 111 forengaging a key 115 of the insulator means 104 to prevent rotationthereof relative to the male housing 12. The annular shoulder 108 of theinsulator 104 bottoms on the annular shoulder 109 of the male housingy12, similarly to the bottorning of the shoulders 22-46 of the insulator41 of the female housing.

The insulator 104 is provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinalbores 112, each having extending therethrough a male contact 113. Eachmaie contact 113 includes an intermediate portion 1,14 having a slidingfit with the longitudinal bore 112, a reduced forward portion 116 havingtelescopic engagement with the tubular portion 67 of a correspondingfemale contact 66, when assembled, and a rearwardly extending tubularportion 117 in which ends 118 of conductors of the other cable 119 areelectrically connected, similar to the connection described for thefemale contact end 72 and conductor end 73. The male contacts furtherinclude annular cnlarged flanges 121 having a sliding fit within arearward counterbore 122 of the bore 112, and an annular groove 123adjacent the flange 121, the groove 123, the liange |121 and thecounterbore 122 forming an annular space in which an annular sealingring 125 of pliant resilient material such as neoprene, rubber, or thelike, is disposed. The contact 113 further includes an intermediatecircumferentially relieved portion 124 defining a shoulder 126 residingwithin a forward counterbore 127 of the bore 112. The counterbore 127with the bore 1,12 defines a forwardly facing annular shoulder 128against which fingers 129 of a retaining means 130, similar to theretaining means 78, abuts to prevent axial movement or inadvertentremoval of the contact 113 from the bore 112 and to compress the sealingring 125.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, each female contact is provided with arelatively rigid, resilient spring clip 13-1 which includes fingers 132which extend through an opening and are biased toward the interior ofthe tubular portion 67 of the female contact 66 for releasably engagingthe reduced portion 116 of the male contact 113, establishing a betterelectrical connection between the contacts 66 and 113.

The insulator 104 is retained within the housing 12 in a manner similarto the construction described with reference to the insulator 41 andfemale housing 11, parts thereof which are identical to parts employedin the female housing are referred to by like numbers which are primed.

A nut 24 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is in threaded engagement with externalthreads 133 of the outer end 134 of the male housing 12 whereby flange27 thereof bears against the outer face of a sleeve 29 within the bore107 Irthe sleeve 29 and an outwardly facing shoulder 136 of theinsulator 104, an annular sealing ring 39 of plaint, resilient materialsuch as rubber, neoprene, or the like, a spacer 36' and a gasket means33.

The inner diameter 107 of the male housing 12 is preferably of the samediametrical dimension as the inner diametrical surface 16 of the femalehousing 11, whereby identical nut members 24, 24'; sleeve members 29,29'; gasket means 33, 33'; spacers 36, 36'; sealing rings 39, 39 andinsulators 104 and 41 may be employed and thereby be interchangeable,the sealing rings 39 and gasket means 33 of the housing 12 effecting ahermetical seal to seal an annular space 138 formed between the bore 107and the cable 119 from the exterior, and the annular space defined bythe inner surface of the male housing 12, the spacer 36 and theinsulator 10'4.

The counterbore of the housing 11 and the counterbores 110, of thehousing 12 are preferably of sufficient length to accommodate either theinsulator 41 or 104 whereby the female housing 11 may be provided withmale contacts like 113 or the male housing 12 with female contacts like66, if desired, for greater versatility and economy.

To assemble the 'female housing 11 and the male housing 12 andthereafter the entire electrical connector 10, the ends of t-heconductors 73 of the cable 32 and 118 of the cable 119 are firstelectrically secured within outer ends 72 and 117 of the female and malecontacts 66 and 113, respectively, as b-y soldering, swaging orpinching, or the like. Sealing rings 77 and 123 are then slipped overeach contact 66 and 113, respectively, to seat in the grooves 76 and123, respectively. Retaining means 78,

having their resilient lingers 81 facing rearwardly, are,

then assembled on the circumferentially relieved portions 68 of thecontacts 66 while the retaining means 130, having their resilientfingers 129 facing rearwardly, are

likewise assembled on the circumferentially relieved por-.

tions 124 of the contacts 113 after which the contacts 66 and 113 areinserted into their respective bores 59 and 112 with the tubular ends 67of the contacts 66 extending forwardly into the `fonward counterbore 62and the reduced end 116 of the contact 113 extending inwardly, throughthe bore 112 to extend beyond the forward face of the insulator 104. Theforward end of the contact 66 is preferably spaced inwardly of theyforward face of the insulator 41. The contacts 66 and 113 are pressedinwardly until fthe fingers 81 of their retaining means 78 and thefingers 129 of the retaining means 130 snap outwardly and against theshoulders 64 and 128, respectively, to retain their respective contacts66, 113 within the respective bores and compress the sealing rings 77and 125. The insulator 41, having a sealing ring 39 slipped over itscircumferentially relieved portion 42, and the now attached cable 32, isslipped within the hou-sing 11 :forwardly until the shoulder 46 of theinsulator abuts the shoulder 22 of the housing 11 and the key 47 entersthe `.keyway 48, after which the spacer 36, the gasket means 33 and thesleeve 29 are inserted into the bore 16 of the housing 11, in thatorder. The nut 24 is screwed onto the external threads 26 of the housing11 to bring the fange 27 into engagement with the sleeve 29 to bias thesleeve inwardly and thereby compress the gasket means 33 and the sealingring 39, the gasket means 33 being expanded radially inwardly to gripthe cable 32 Aand hold it in place.

The insulator 104, having therein the sealing ring 39', is similarlyinstalled in the male housing 12, being slipped into the bore 107 of themale housing 12 until the shoulder 108 of the insulator 104 'bottomsagainst the shoulder 109 of the housing 12 and the key 115 engages thekeyway 111 of the housing, after which the spacer 36', a gasket means 33and sleeve 29' are inserted into the bore 107 to bear, in that order,against the insulator 104. The

nut 24 is then screwed onto the threads 133 of the housing 12 wherebythe flange 27' of the nut 24 bears against the sleeve 29" to push thesleeve 29' inwardly and compress the gasket means 33 and the sealingring 39 whereby the gasket means is expanded radially to grip the cable119 and the interior of the housing 12 is hermetically sealed.

As -best seen in PIG. 3, the coupling means 13 may be secured to thehousing 12- prior to the internal assembly by providing a split ring 91in the forward groove 92 of the housing, after which the body 86 may beslipped over the housing 12 lfrom the rearward threaded end and extendedforwardly until the lllange 87 is in abutment with the split ring, afterwhich another split ring 91 may be installed in the groove 92 nowrearwardly of the frange 37 to retain the body 86 on the housing 12. Acup-shaped washer 97 and a sealing ring 96, having been placed over thehousing 12, are now nested within the body 85 with the ange 87 in4abutment with the Washer 97.

It Iwill now be more clearly understood from the foregoing descriptionthat the contacts 66, 113 are insertable into their respective hores 59,112 after being electrically connected to ends of conductors 73, 118respectively, and subsequently sealed as by the O-ring sealing rings 77,12S. In this manner the conductor may be more eifectively electricallyconnected to the contacts as by crimping, swaging, or soldering beforeinsertion. Previously, electrical connection of contact to conductor wasnecessary in crowded quarters `as a result of premolding the gangedcontacts within the insulators.

To couple the female and male housings 1.1, 12 respectively, the forwardend 102 of the male housing 12 is inserted into the counterbore 21 ofthe female housing 111 with the key 103 of the end 102 in slidingengagement with the axial keyway 164 to bring the threads 84 of the body86 into engagement with the external threads 83 of the female housing1'1, after which rotation of the coupling means 13 draws the body 86'over the female housing 11 to bias the end '102 inwardly of thecounterbore 21. The key 47 and keyway 48 of the female housing 11, thekey y1115i and the keyway 111 of the male housing, and the key 1113 ofthe male housing and keyway 1414 of the tfemale housing are soorientated that the bores 59 of the female housing 11 and the bores `112of the male housing 12 are substantially aligned, facilitating insertionof the reduced ends 116 of the lmale contacts within the tubular ends 67of the female contacts 66. In this manner the complementary female andmale contacts 67, 113, respectively, are polarized to elect a desiredconnection between selected conductors 73:` and 118 of the cables 32 and119.

With reference to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the retaining means forthe male contact is illustrated, the means being applicable to both themale and the female contacts. ,In this instant embodiment, the malecontact 113' is identical to the contact 113 with the exception of theintermediate portion 124- which, instead of being circumferentiallyrelieved, as at 124- on the contact 113, is provided with a conicalexterior 140` havin-g a major diameter 141 slightly equal to thecounterbore 127 but substantially larger than the portion 142 residingwithin the bore 112, thereby forming a shoulder 143 for abutment withthe inwardly-facing `shoulder 128 formed by the counterbore 127. Thecontact 113' includes a radial flange 121 and a groove 123 to house, inconjunction with the counterbore 122, a sealing ring 125 similar to therelationshipy of the contact 113 to the insulator 104 and a reducedforward end 116 for telescoping with the tubular end 67 of a femaleconductor 66.

In order that the contact 113 may be inserted -through the -bore 112`from the rearward side of the insulator 104, the inter-mediate portions124 and 142 are provided with radial slots 144 extending therethroughwhereby the major diameter )1411 may be contracted as it is passedthrough the bore 112 to spring outwardly when the shoulder 143 is withinthe counterbore 127 to engage the shoulder 143 with the shoulder 128 ofthe insulator 104, thereby retaining the contact 113 within theinsulator 104 and axially compressing the sealing ring to effect asealing relationship between the contact 113 and the insulator 104. Itis to be understood that although not illustrated, the female contact 66may be likewise modified to embrace the construction described for FlG.8, with the substitution of a tubular end like 67 for the reduced end116.

If it is desired to remove a contact like 66, 113 or 113', a simple toolof tubular construction (not shown) may be employed having an innerdiameter substantially equal or smaller than the bores 59 and 112 and anouter diameter substantially equal to or smaller than the counterbores62, 127 whereby the lingers 81, 129 or split portion 124' may becompressed to clear the counterbores 62, V127.

While we have herein shown and described our invention in what we'haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the lscope of`our invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosedherein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent devices and methods.

We claim:

l. In an electrical connector `for connecting conductors of a pair ofcables comprising telescopable male and female housings, each havingtherein one end of one of the cables, contact means in each saidhousing, each being electrically connected to a conductor of itsrespective cable, insulator means in each said housing and havinglongitudinal -bores for supporting said contact means in spacedinsulated relationship to each other and to a respective housing, thecontact means of one of said housings being telescopically engageablewith the contact means of the other of said housings so as toelectrically connect selective contacts of each housing when thehousings are telescopingly engaged and sealing means interposed betweensaid housings and compressible in response to telescoping of saidhousings for sealing connection therebetween, the improvementcomprising: means for her-metically sealing each of said housings so asto prevent access of moisture to the electrical connection of saidconductors to said contacts in both engaged and disengaged conditions ofthe connector, said means including a rst annular sealing means in eachhousing, slidingly fitting its respective housing and surrounding itsrespective cable, said rst annular sealing means including an annularbody of elastomeric material having spaced external grooves andrelatively-rigid annular inserts in said grooves, said first sealingmeans being responsive to an axial compressive force to expand radiallyand form spaced inwardly extending ribs biting into its respective cablefor multiple-sealing engagement therewith; and a second annular sealingmeans between each housing and its insulator and responsive to axialcompressive force applied to said first sealing means for sealing anannular space between each insulator and its respective housing; andaxially movable compressing means on each said housing and operativelyassociated with said first and second sealing means thereof forlongitudinally compressing said irst and second sealing means.

2. The combination, as defined in claim l, wherein said contacts areremovably supported in said insulators and including: third annularsea-ling means circumjacent each said contact and compressible betweensaid contact and its respective insulator means so as to seal saidcontact means relative to said insulator means; and la compressing meanscoactive with said contact means and said insulator means forcompressing said sealing means into sealing relationship therewith.

3. The combination, as defined in claim 2, wherein said compressingmeans is removable.

4. The combination, as dened in claim 2, wherein said compressing meanscomprises a sleeve circumjacent said contact means and having aplurality of resilient spring ingers engageable with said insulatormeans and said contact means so as to bias said contact means intocompressive force against said sealing means.

5. The combination, as defined in claim 4, wherein said compressingmeans includes retaining means for retaining said contacts in saidinsulator means, s-aid retaining means being biased into retainingengagement by said third annular `sealing means.

1,997,081 Reynolds Apr. 9, 1935 10 Abbott Oct. 24, Antony et al Dec. 3,Larkins Apr. 27, Hargett July 29, Allen Oct. 13, Young Jan. 4, ArsonApr. 7,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 1,

